What a week! As term comes nearer to finishing I’ve had quite a busy week! You may recall my telling you of my to-do lists last term as Christmas approached? This week has been no different! I’ve had to be here, there and everywhere this week for meetings, workshops, lectures, seminars, rehearsals! It’s been fab though – I’ve really missed having a run around sort of lifestyle and this week has really made me feel like part of the bigger community here at uni and hopefully this post will be able to explain why!
As I type this week’s entry I am lucky enough to be accompanied by the buzz of the crowd, the smell of sizzling burgers and the sound of Lancaster’s wonderful musical talent. I am sitting literally next to the 2015 Campus Fest! There are two stages, countless pieces of equipment, several food stalls and a really lovely (but probably very chilly) crowd outside my window and I have been very, very lucky to be a part of it today – I’ve had such a lovely time! Part of the reason why I’ve been so busy this week is because I have had so many rehearsals ready for this! Ballet society performed a piece with LUDans, which is the bigger dance society on campus today, and I had such a good time! We learnt the dance in only four rehearsals (which I’m really proud of, eeek), but I have learnt so much more about the people in ballet society too and I think we’re becoming really close as a group. We spent 4 wonderful evenings together this week and next week we’re having a pizza and movie night! The girls and I all got ready together before Campus Fest on Saturday and then spent some time together afterwards, just having a chat and drinking hot chocolate! It means such a lot to me that I’m becoming closer to my society. Ballet is something that I really enjoy doing and being close with the people that you’re doing it with makes it all the better.
This applies to choir too! As we all huddled together this afternoon dressed in our concert attire and coats, like penguins, I realised that we are becoming a lovely close group too. I really loved the set that we performed at Campus Fest, we did two classical pieces as well as Royals, I’ve Got Rhythm and The Lion Sleeps Tonight! Later on this evening we are performing our Disney medley before the fireworks are set off and I can’t wait! I was so keen to write the post this week that I just couldn’t wait until after the fireworks! (I will put a little note at the bottom to let you know how they went!*) Just seeing choir collaborate so well with Orchestra and our new Rep (we had exec elections a few weeks ago!) allowed me to think about how much people can get out of a society. I know this sounds like something that a uni would put into its Student Union prospectus, but they put it in there because it’s true! Joining a society is so valuable part of student life, but when you get to know the people and you really enjoy what you’re doing it’s priceless.
Speaking of societies, I have a little bit of news! I am now the treasurer for Ballet Society, eeek! I really wanted to be part of the exec because I love the society; it’s so titchy and everyone’s lovely. We had Hustings before a rehearsal last week and it was adorable! I had to give a little speech about why I’d be a good treasurer and what I could bring to the role. It was kind of nerve-wracking saying why you’d be good at something, though! I thought my past retail experience would be pretty helpful, so I said that and I thought about keeping the finances running smoothly – but it was still tricky! I guess it as good experience for any potential interviews, though (but that’s a long way off yet!). I’m so excited to be treasurer and I’ll be living near the bank next year, so that’s pretty useful, I guess! That’s the reason we’re having pizza next week: to celebrate the new exec committee. I am so, so excited!
Last week I mentioned working with the JCR to organise the Harry Potter Quiz for Mind and their new campaign, Time to Talk, Time to Change. Well, this week we’ve really been getting on with sorting everything out and next Wednesday is the quiz! I’ve designed a poster and a flier to be put up around campus and our lovely JCR Welfare Officers are helping to advertise the event on our college page, and are doing the rounds around the flats with me to recruit as many teams as we can! All the questions are now on a PowerPoint with pictures (which I had an insanely good time finding!) and everything’s looking in place! YAY Our JCR have been so kind and donated some money towards a prize too, so hopefully that will entice people to the event for this really, really important campaign.
While all this has been going on (!) it’s been a fab week workwise too, I think! I’ve started to think about my essay title for history, as I have to write it over the break. I think I’m going to choose the topic about Orientalism, which discusses how Western society perceives Eastern culture and their history. However, my seminar teacher was talking to us about bringing in areas of our other subjects and reshaping the question slightly to cover these topics. This is so cool because I’m doing Hindu and Buddhist beliefs in EPR and that’s really made me think about the way we perceive not only Eastern culture but also their religion. So, I’ve been to speak to my current EPR lecturer and he gave me a couple of books to look at, from this I’ve been creating an essay plan this week, and it’s been so interesting! The fact that my subjects can overlap so closely and I am able to make something of this overlap is fab. I’ll have to finish the essay plan on Monday because the weekend’s been so busy! So I will be spending Monday evening curled up in the library with my pad, journals and my Moomin flask full of tea!
I also attended a careers workshop about Personal Appearance in interviews on Tuesday this week. It was so odd, but really informative. I was shocked at how much appearance actually matters; not in a bad way, just very surprised. We learnt all about personal colouring and which shades or colours should be used and avoided, as well as learning about our body types. I know that I should be buying a certain type of trousers and jacket now, though, and I should go for blended, medium tones, avoiding black jackets, as they will wash me out (haha, it sounds so funny when I read it back in my head!)
As the end of term approaches things do seem to get busier, but I would have it no other way! I have had such a lovely week, I have enjoyed every second and this weekend has been absolutely fantastic. I’m starting to feel a lot more at home now, I feel like I’m part of something bigger here now. My studies, of course, take priority and I love what I’m doing at the moment! (We actually start the Enrolment for Second Year Modules next week, which is terrifying (but still pretty exciting) so that’s cool!) I feel like I’m getting a lot out of the module and I’m looking forward to tackling the essay, as long as my plans are okay! However, having a good work and society (and sleep!) balance is so, so, so important as I’ve contemplated before, and this week I have really noticed how true this is.
*I promised to let you know how the fireworks went, so I am typing this little section literally 2 minutes post Disney medley, firework amazingness, and best evening magic! I have the biggest smile on my face right now! I am wrapped up tight in my coat and my fingers are numb, but I have honestly had one of the best nights I’ve ever had. Just to see the smiles, hear the crowd and feel how I feel right makes it all worth it. I couldn’t pinpoint what ‘it’ is, but it sure is something pretty special.
Thank you for reading, guys!
Have a lovely week!
History Hugs,
Eleanor :0)